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Book: “Guilt and Ginataan” by Mia P. Manansala
Publishing Info: Berkley, November 2024
Where Did I Get This Book: I received and eARC from NetGalley.
Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound
Book Description: Autumn is in full swing for the town of Shady Palms—the perfect time for warm drinks, cozy cardigans, and…dead bodies?
The annual Shady Palms Corn Festival is one of the town’s biggest moneymakers, drawing crowds from all over the Midwest looking to partake in delicious treats, local crafts, and of course, the second largest corn maze in Illinois. Lila Macapagal and her Brew-ha Cafe crew, Adeena Awan and Elena Torres, are all too happy to participate in the event and even make a little wager on who can make it through the corn maze the fastest—but their fun is suddenly cut short when a dead body is found in the middle of the maze…and an unconscious Adeena lies next to it, clutching a bloody knife.
The body is discovered to be a local politician’s wife, and all signs—murder weapon included—point to Adeena as the culprit. But Lila knows her best friend couldn’t have done this, so she and her crew put on their sleuthing caps yet again to find the killer who framed Adeena and show them what happens when they mess with a Brew-ha…
Review: Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this novel!
I’ve been having a rough go of it for the past week and a half. My worst fears about the election came true, and I’ve been spending a lot of time either feeling lots of rage, or commiserating with/supporting my friends and loved ones who have so much to lose should all these promises made come to pass. So during this time I’ve been trying to be a little gentle on myself when it comes to what I consume, entertainment wise, and it was the perfect time to read “Guilt and Ginataan” by Mia P. Manansala, the newest cozy mystery in the “Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries” series! And besides, I also love a cozy mystery for fall, my favorite time of year. So I wrapped myself in the heaviest weighted blanket our house had to offer to feel cozy and to try and tamp down my ever ongoing anxiety attacks as I dove in.
As a mystery, I did have a few moments of being surprised and caught off guard. Manansala does a really good job of spreading out motives and suspects, with red herrings and misdirections that kept me on my toes. In this novel, Lila is on the case during the Shady Palms Corn Festival after a woman named Yvonne, the wife of a visiting Mayor, is found murdered in the corn maze, and Lila’s best friend and business partner Adeena is found passed out next to the body with a bloody knife in her hand. Lila always seems to have some kind of connection to the murders in these stories, usually because a loved one is accused of having something to do with it, and now it’s finally Adeena’s turn, which made the stakes feel incredibly high as Adeena has always been Lila’s number one supporter and confidant. I think that this entry into the series brings it back up to the top of its game after the last book that didn’t click as well as I had hoped it would, and the higher stakes were a huge part of that. I also liked seeing how Lila has grown as an investigator, and how she has become more in her element as the series has gone on without any frustrating roadblocks between her and her loved ones or her state as an amateur detective (still hoping she eventually opens up her own agency, but perhaps that would take away from her kind of Jessica Fletcher thing she has going on) .
One of the biggest things I look for in a cozy mystery series is a group of characters and a setting that is enjoyable, charming, and, well, cozy? And Shady Palms and everyone who lives there continue to be utterly engaging (though I still don’t really like Lila’s group of aunties, but they weren’t in this one very much so that was neither here nor there in this case). I also really enjoyed the autumn setting in this one, with the body of Yvonne being found in a corn maze during the Corn Festival in town. It also just feels like such a small town thing that resonates, as my Dad’s small hometown of Schaller, Iowa always has a Popcorn Days celebration that we would attend during family visits throughout my youth. I’m still really loving the life and details that Manansala is bringing to her setting and all of the quirky people who live there.
And finally, yes, there are more recipes in this book!! Boy do I still love a good recipe selection from a cozy mystery story, and once again there are many at hand this time that just sound to die for.
The “Tita Rosie Kitchen Mysteries” Series is still really fun, and “Guilt and Ginataan” keeps the vibes nice and chill while bringing in the kind of suspense I want from a cozy mystery story. We may be in need of some cozy comforts in the future when taking a break from reality to recharge, and this series is a good place to seek such things out.
Rating 8: Another fun cozy mystery about Lila Macapagal with some awesome recipes! Perfect fall reading here!
Reader’s Advisory:
“Guilt and Ginataan” is on the Goodreads list “2024 Cozy Mystery New Releases”.
The Library Ladies 